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(No Model.) 2 S'heetsSheet 1.

S. D. SABGENT 8: E. A. SGHADE.

OPERA CHAIR.

No. 302,672. Patented July 29,1884.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2;

S. D. SARGENT & E; A. SCHADE.

OPERA CHAIR.

Patexited July 29, 1884.

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SAMUEL D. SARGENT AND EDMUND A. SGHADE, OF NEXV BRITAIN, CONN.

OPERAr-CHAHR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 302,672, dated July 29, 1884.

(No model.)

To ail whom it may concern 1' Be it known that we, SAMUEL D. SARG-ENT and EDMUND A. Sermon, both of New Britain, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticnt, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Opera-Chairs, ofwhich the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in opera-chairs. In ouriinproved chair theframe that carries the seat and back is pivoted at one end to a standard by the side of said seat and back, and, also, novel features of construction are employed, as hereinafter specified; and the objects of our invention are to facilitate the passage through the house in any direction; to provide a simple and inexpensive tilting ar rangement; to lock the back firmlyin place when theseat is turned down, and to so construct the several parts that they shall be simple and convenient to use, and can be made at a small cost. We attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front view of our operachair and two standards, the same being represented with the seat turned up. Fig. 2 is a like view of the same parts, but represented with the seat and back,together with the frame on which they are mounted, swung around to make a passage-way between the standards. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the same parts, represented in the same position as in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of our opera-chair and one standard, the same being represented with the seat turned down and the back tilted slightly backward. Fig. 5 is a vertical sec tion of the same, represented in the same 130 sition, the plane of section being through the middle of the back and seat. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the same parts as in Fig. 1, and represented in the same position, while the broken lines indicate the position of the seat and back which is represented in Fig. 2. Fig. 7 isaside elevation of one side of the standard, and Fig. Sis a side elevation of the opposite side of the same.

A designates the standard, having a lug, a, upon one side, by which'to pivot one end of the seat-frame l3, and a lug, b, upon the opposite side for supporting the free end of the seatframe B when two or more standards are placed side by side with a seat between each two adjoining standards, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and f. The frame B is pivoted to the lug a by means of a pin, 0, secured to the frame at the front corner near one end, and entering a hole or socket formed in said lug. If desired, however, the pin might be secured to the lug, and its receiving holoor socket be formed in the frame.

Near each end of the frame 13 there is an upwardly-projecting lug, d, to the highest part of which and toward the rear side the back 0 is pivoted by the pins 0, Figs. 2 and 4:, and to front side of which lug, at a point lower down, the seat D is pivoted by the pins f, Figs. 2 and at. The lower ends of the back 0 extend downward in the rear of that part of the seat D in which the pin f is situated. The upper rear corners of the seat D aresubstantially right -angular corners, whereby they form cams 1 which, when the seat is raised from the position shown in Fig. 4 to that shown in Fig, 2, act upon the lower ends of the back: to throw them backward, and thereby to tilt the 7 5 main portion of the back forward a little, so as to bring it nearly into a vertical position.

A pin, 71, or other suitable stop or projection on the frame, prevents the back from being thus tilted beyond a certain point. So

In the middle of thelower end of the back 0 there is a downwardlyprojecting arm, k, and in the middle of the rear part of the seat is a hooked arm, m. hen the seat is turned down from the position shown in Fig. 2to that 8 5 shown in Fig. 4-, the hooked arm m will engage the lower end of the arm 7t and throw said arm forward, thereby tilting the back backward, when the lower end of the back at each side comes in contact with the seat, as shown in Fig. 4., and locks the back against being moved in one direction, while the hooked arm and arm is engage, as shown in Fig. 5, andlock the back against being moved in the opposite direction so long as the seat is turned down 5 into position for use. The hooked arm or, coming under the end of arm It, also acts as a stop to limit the downwardmovement of the seat.

It is our intention to place the standards in rows side by side, and with a seat between each two adjoining standards, the rows being far enough apart to form an aisle or passageway from right to left in the ordinary manner of placing opera chairs. By the construction herein shown and described the turned-up seat and tilted back, together with the frame upon which they are mounted, cover but little floorspace, as shown in Fig. 6. When thus turned and swung to one side on the pin 0, as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 6, a passage-way is formed through the row without disturbing or moving any other seat, so that a person in enteringor going from the room can, by turning unoccupied seats,pass through the rows wherever he may desire. For abroad aisle, or in order to seat the usual aisle after the body of the house is full, the standards by the sides of said aisle may be provided with the lugs a, with sockets, and right and left hand seats may be brought in and hung by their vertical pins to said lugs, while the free' end of the seat-frame may be provided with a downwardly-projecting standard to rest upon the floor, so that the aisle may be seated solid; and when it is desired to clear the aisle, the seats can be turned up and swung around to the right and left.

We are aware of the patent to Bailey and Schade,l\ o. 264,216,8epteinber 12, 1882, which shows a swinging frame with pivoted back and seat mounted thereon, and our present invention is considered as an improvement thereon, although it has embodied in it substantially the improvement patented in said patent.

W'e are also aware that a prior patent shows an operachairhaving a hook upon the seat which engages the lower end of the back, and prevents the upper end from working forward when the seat is down, and the same is hereby disclaimed.

We claim as our invention- 1. In a folding opera-chair,the combination of the fixed standard A, having the lug a, the frame B, hinged by one corner to saidlug, and adapted to swing horizontally thereon, the back 0, and seat D, pivoted to said frame 13, and means for supporting the outer end of said swinging frame, substantially as shown,

,as described, and for the object specified.

2. The combination of the standard having the pivotal lug upon one side and the supporting-lug upon its opposite side, the chairsupporting frame, the vertical pivot which connects said supporting-frame to the pivotal lug of said standard, the back pivoted to said supporting-frame near its lower end, and the seat pivoted to the same frame at a point below the pivots of the back, and provided with the rear upper corners, g, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

SAMUEL D. SARGENT. EDMUND A. SGHADE- VVitnesSeS:

JAMES SHEPARD, JOHN EDwARDs, J r. 

